Choose one conflict in The Hobbit, and explain how Tolkien uses it to move the story forward. Don't forget to cite page number when appropriate.
One conflict in The Hobbit is when Bilbo gets into trouble with Gollum by getting himself into a riddle competition. This conflict is a character against character conflict. The riddle competition is a problem because if Bilbo looses the competition, Gollum will eat him. However, if Bilbo wins, Gollum will help him find the way out of the tunnel. In the end, Bilbo ends up winning, but Gollum refuses to follow through on the deal and show him the way out. Fortunately for Bilbo, Gollum drops his very valuable ring that turns you invisible when you wear it. Bilbo puts it on, and he turns invisible. Gollum gets ver upset, and thinks that Bilbo is heading to the exit, so he starts to leave. What he does not know is that when he is leaving the tunnel, he is really just guiding Bilbo on his way out, since Bilbo was secretly following him invisibly. This conflict helps move the story forward because if this conflict never had happened, Bilbo would never have gotten the invisibility ring and then found his way out of the tunnel and back with the dwarves on the journey. ~ This is a great example of character vs. character. I would not want to go up again Gollum! YUCK! ~Mrs. Best
Cite: Chapter 5 in The Hobbit
Abby Pipines March 4, 2011 Reading 6th Hr.
I agree with you. This was a character to character conflict in this story. This part of the story was very exciting and important because if Bilbo hadn't had his riddle fight with Gollum, how was he supposed to get out? Or how was he supposed to find the rest of the company? For my response, which you already read, I did the goblins vs Bilbo. My conflict was when Bilbo, Gandalf, and the dwarves had encountered with the goblins. I thought this part was intriguing and I just kept on wanting to read on. I had imagined myself in Bilbo's situation, during this event, and thought of all the bad things that he had to go through, especially when he had to face Gollum on his own. I thought your response was very descriptive. Great Job Katie!! ~This is a great response to Katie!Mrs. Best
Hobbit Question 2 March 4, 2011 In your own words, describe what happens next to Bilbo and the dwarves in the forest.
What happens to Bilbo and the dwarves next is very intense! Once Bilbo and the dwarves escape the goblins, they think they are safe. Unfortunately, that is extremely far from the truth. When Bilbo and the dwarves are in the forest, they hear wolves coming. They climb up the trees around them so the wolves cannot get to them. The wolves were coming to the forest to meet the goblins. The goblins were late though, because of everything that had happened with the dwarves and Bilbo. Once the goblins got there, they trapped the dwarves and Bilbo at the top of the trees by creating a ring of fire down at the ground. If they came down from the tree, they would be immediately burned. They were stuck! Lucky for the dwarves, soon a flock of eagles came and rescued them. The dwarves and Bilbo held on to their feet, and the eagles flew them away from the goblins and wolves, over the mountain. What an amazing save! Thanks to the eagles, the dwarves and Bilbo could continue on their journey! That is what happens next to Bilbo and dwarves in the forest. ~I like your voice in this! Nice job. ~Mrs. Best
Hobbit Question 3 March 20, 2011
When Gandolf first visits Bilbo, looking for someone to share in an adventure, Bilbo tells Gandalf that hobbits are
"...plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner! I can't think what anybody sees in them "(7).
The dwarves are not quite sure that Bilbo will be able to handle the adventures at all, and Bilbo himself wonders how he found himself at The Green Dragon Inn, riding a pony away from Hobbiton. But now, Bilbo has become the unspoken leader of the party. Without Bilbo, the dwarves would never have made it to Lonely Mountain.
Is an adventure something that happens to us or how we react to what happens? Often in life, adventures are not as obvious as killing giant spiders or escaping from an Elven king's dungeon. Sometimes adventures are made out of ordinary days and ordinary events, with ordinary people who become the heroes. You may not even realize you've been in an adventure until after it's over!
Think about the times you have learned a new skill, moved, changed schools, competed in sports, welcomed a new pet, discovered a new friend, performed in front of an audience, or had a terrifying fall. These events are adventures in process. Have you grown or changed from your experience with any of these situations, as Bilbo grew and changed because of his adventure with the dwarves? Recall a time when something happened to cause you to grow and change in a positive way. Respond on your wiki page.
Adventures are all different. Some are big, and some are small. Some are chosen, and some find us. You can never know what to expect with adventures. I think that an adventure is not just something that happens to us, but it is also how we react to what happens. An example of an adventure that found someone is when Bilbo got pushed on to go on the quest to get back the jewels for the dwarves. Bilbo did not want to take part in this adventure, but he was shoved into it anyways. At first, he did not want to go at all, and he thought it would be awful. Much to his surprise, he grew and changed a lot through it. He gained much more self confidence for himself and realized that he has many talents that he needs to use. There were many times when the dwarves looked up to Bilbo for advice and guidance because they did not know what to do. One of those times was when the dwarves got tied up in spider webs by spiders and Bilbo had to get them out. If if hadn't been for Bilbo, the dwarves would have died and ended their quest right there. Bilbo was transformed from an ordinary hobbit to an extraordinary leader through this adventure. He grew and changed in a very positive way. I have also had many adventures. Even though my adventures are not sword fighting, death battles, they are still great adventures. One adventure in process that I have have gone through is performing in the play Willy Wonka as the role of Augustus Gloop. This is an adventure that I chose. When I first auditioned for the play, I thought that I would never make it in. Regardless of my thoughts, I still begged my mom to allow me to be in the play when the sign-up went out. Being cast as one of the leads really boosted my confidence and showed me that anything is possible. I have changed and grown from my experience of performing in the play by becoming more confident in myself and believing that I can accomplish whatever I put my mind to. I have also grown from this experience by making many new friends and by improving my acting, singing, and dancing abilities. The play was a very positive and encouraging experience for me and I will never forget how much I have grown from it and the many memories I made. Without going through the adventure of being in Willy Wonka, I would not be the same actress that I am today. ~ Great job connecting your adventure with dear Mr. Baggins! ~Mrs. Best
Hobbit Question 4 March 29, 2011
If Thorin could have lived, do you think he would have regretted his greed? What do you think Tolkien is trying to teach us about material wealth by Thorin's death? In your response, site textual evidence to support your response. Use page numbers too.
If Thorin could have lived, I think he would have regretted his greed. I think he would have realized how selfish he was being, and wish that he would've shared and not have been so unselfish and want to keep it all for himself. I think those things would be true because Tolkien gave us some key evidence of that in the story. Tolkien writes, "Farewell, good thief," he(Thorin) said. I go now to the halls of waiting to sit beside my fathers, until the world is renewed. Since I leave now all gold and silver, and go where it is little worth, I wish to part in friendship from you, and I would take back my words and deeds at the Gate." (312) When Thorin said this, I felt like he was trying to apologize for his actions and wish he had never done it in the first place. He also probably wishes that he listened to Bilbo because Bilbo was doing the right thing. Was the Arkenstone really more important than being a good person? This quote written by Tolkien made me think that he wishes he was more like Bilbo: "No!" said Thorin. "There is more in you of good than you know, child of the kindly West. Some courage and some wisdom, blended in measure. If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold , it would be a merrier world. But sad or merry, I must leave it now. Farewell!" (312) I think Tolkien is trying to teach us that being a kind person and not greedy leads to good rewards and being selfish and greedy leads to unfavorable consequences. He tried to show us that when Thorin made a bad choice by not sharing. In return for his bad choice, he suffered a very negative consequence of death. Tolkien is also teaching us that we are not good people based on what good things we have, rather we are good people based on our actions. He used Thorin, someone who just cared about material things, like the Arkenstone, as someone that we should not be, and he used Bilbo, someone who cared more about kindness and fairness, as someone who we should be like. Material wealth is not as important as being a good person is. That is what I think Tolkien is trying to teach us about material wealth by Thorin's death. ~Excellent. I agree with you. You chose good quotes to support your opinion. ~Mrs. Best
Back to student pages!!
March 2, 2011
Choose one conflict in The Hobbit, and explain how Tolkien uses it to move the story forward. Don't forget to cite page number when appropriate.
One conflict in The Hobbit is when Bilbo gets into trouble with Gollum by getting himself into a riddle competition. This conflict is a character against character conflict. The riddle competition is a problem because if Bilbo looses the competition, Gollum will eat him. However, if Bilbo wins, Gollum will help him find the way out of the tunnel. In the end, Bilbo ends up winning, but Gollum refuses to follow through on the deal and show him the way out. Fortunately for Bilbo, Gollum drops his very valuable ring that turns you invisible when you wear it. Bilbo puts it on, and he turns invisible. Gollum gets ver upset, and thinks that Bilbo is heading to the exit, so he starts to leave. What he does not know is that when he is leaving the tunnel, he is really just guiding Bilbo on his way out, since Bilbo was secretly following him invisibly. This conflict helps move the story forward because if this conflict never had happened, Bilbo would never have gotten the invisibility ring and then found his way out of the tunnel and back with the dwarves on the journey. ~ This is a great example of character vs. character. I would not want to go up again Gollum! YUCK! ~Mrs. Best
Cite: Chapter 5 in The Hobbit
Abby Pipines
March 4, 2011
Reading 6th Hr.
I agree with you. This was a character to character conflict in this story. This part of the story was very exciting and important because if Bilbo hadn't had his riddle fight with Gollum, how was he supposed to get out? Or how was he supposed to find the rest of the company? For my response, which you already read, I did the goblins vs Bilbo. My conflict was when Bilbo, Gandalf, and the dwarves had encountered with the goblins. I thought this part was intriguing and I just kept on wanting to read on. I had imagined myself in Bilbo's situation, during this event, and thought of all the bad things that he had to go through, especially when he had to face Gollum on his own. I thought your response was very descriptive. Great Job Katie!! ~This is a great response to Katie!Mrs. Best
Hobbit Question 2
March 4, 2011
In your own words, describe what happens next to Bilbo and the dwarves in the forest.
What happens to Bilbo and the dwarves next is very intense! Once Bilbo and the dwarves escape the goblins, they think they are safe. Unfortunately, that is extremely far from the truth. When Bilbo and the dwarves are in the forest, they hear wolves coming. They climb up the trees around them so the wolves cannot get to them. The wolves were coming to the forest to meet the goblins. The goblins were late though, because of everything that had happened with the dwarves and Bilbo. Once the goblins got there, they trapped the dwarves and Bilbo at the top of the trees by creating a ring of fire down at the ground. If they came down from the tree, they would be immediately burned. They were stuck! Lucky for the dwarves, soon a flock of eagles came and rescued them. The dwarves and Bilbo held on to their feet, and the eagles flew them away from the goblins and wolves, over the mountain. What an amazing save! Thanks to the eagles, the dwarves and Bilbo could continue on their journey! That is what happens next to Bilbo and dwarves in the forest. ~I like your voice in this! Nice job. ~Mrs. Best
Hobbit Question 3
March 20, 2011
When Gandolf first visits Bilbo, looking for someone to share in an adventure, Bilbo tells Gandalf that hobbits are
"...plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner! I can't think what anybody sees in them "(7).
The dwarves are not quite sure that Bilbo will be able to handle the adventures at all, and Bilbo himself wonders how he found himself at The Green Dragon Inn, riding a pony away from Hobbiton. But now, Bilbo has become the unspoken leader of the party. Without Bilbo, the dwarves would never have made it to Lonely Mountain.
Is an adventure something that happens to us or how we react to what happens? Often in life, adventures are not as obvious as killing giant spiders or escaping from an Elven king's dungeon. Sometimes adventures are made out of ordinary days and ordinary events, with ordinary people who become the heroes. You may not even realize you've been in an adventure until after it's over!
Think about the times you have learned a new skill, moved, changed schools, competed in sports, welcomed a new pet, discovered a new friend, performed in front of an audience, or had a terrifying fall. These events are adventures in process. Have you grown or changed from your experience with any of these situations, as Bilbo grew and changed
because of his adventure with the dwarves? Recall a time when something happened to cause you to grow and change in a positive way. Respond on your wiki page.
Adventures are all different. Some are big, and some are small. Some are chosen, and some find us. You can never know what to expect with adventures. I think that an adventure is not just something that happens to us, but it is also how we react to what happens. An example of an adventure that found someone is when Bilbo got pushed on to go on the quest to get back the jewels for the dwarves. Bilbo did not want to take part in this adventure, but he was shoved into it anyways. At first, he did not want to go at all, and he thought it would be awful. Much to his surprise, he grew and changed a lot through it. He gained much more self confidence for himself and realized that he has many talents that he needs to use. There were many times when the dwarves looked up to Bilbo for advice and guidance because they did not know what to do. One of those times was when the dwarves got tied up in spider webs by spiders and Bilbo had to get them out. If if hadn't been for Bilbo, the dwarves would have died and ended their quest right there. Bilbo was transformed from an ordinary hobbit to an extraordinary leader through this adventure. He grew and changed in a very positive way. I have also had many adventures. Even though my adventures are not sword fighting, death battles, they are still great adventures. One adventure in process that I have have gone through is performing in the play Willy Wonka as the role of Augustus Gloop. This is an adventure that I chose. When I first auditioned for the play, I thought that I would never make it in. Regardless of my thoughts, I still begged my mom to allow me to be in the play when the sign-up went out. Being cast as one of the leads really boosted my confidence and showed me that anything is possible. I have changed and grown from my experience of performing in the play by becoming more confident in myself and believing that I can accomplish whatever I put my mind to. I have also grown from this experience by making many new friends and by improving my acting, singing, and dancing abilities. The play was a very positive and encouraging experience for me and I will never forget how much I have grown from it and the many memories I made. Without going through the adventure of being in Willy Wonka, I would not be the same actress that I am today. ~ Great job connecting your adventure with dear Mr. Baggins! ~Mrs. Best
Hobbit Question 4 March 29, 2011
If Thorin could have lived, do you think he would have regretted his greed? What do you think Tolkien is trying to teach us about material wealth by Thorin's death? In your response, site textual evidence to support your response. Use page numbers too.
If Thorin could have lived, I think he would have regretted his greed. I think he would have realized how selfish he was being, and wish that he would've shared and not have been so unselfish and want to keep it all for himself. I think those things would be true because Tolkien gave us some key evidence of that in the story. Tolkien writes, "Farewell, good thief," he(Thorin) said. I go now to the halls of waiting to sit beside my fathers, until the world is renewed. Since I leave now all gold and silver, and go where it is little worth, I wish to part in friendship from you, and I would take back my words and deeds at the Gate." (312) When Thorin said this, I felt like he was trying to apologize for his actions and wish he had never done it in the first place. He also probably wishes that he listened to Bilbo because Bilbo was doing the right thing. Was the Arkenstone really more important than being a good person? This quote written by Tolkien made me think that he wishes he was more like Bilbo: "No!" said Thorin. "There is more in you of good than you know, child of the kindly West. Some courage and some wisdom, blended in measure. If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold , it would be a merrier world. But sad or merry, I must leave it now. Farewell!" (312) I think Tolkien is trying to teach us that being a kind person and not greedy leads to good rewards and being selfish and greedy leads to unfavorable consequences. He tried to show us that when Thorin made a bad choice by not sharing. In return for his bad choice, he suffered a very negative consequence of death. Tolkien is also teaching us that we are not good people based on what good things we have, rather we are good people based on our actions. He used Thorin, someone who just cared about material things, like the Arkenstone, as someone that we should not be, and he used Bilbo, someone who cared more about kindness and fairness, as someone who we should be like. Material wealth is not as important as being a good person is. That is what I think Tolkien is trying to teach us about material wealth by Thorin's death.
~Excellent. I agree with you. You chose good quotes to support your opinion.
~Mrs. Best